Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 - 3 KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
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KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
Nation Religion King
3
Action Plan
to Prevent and Respond
to Violence Against Children
2017-2021
The Steering Committee
on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children
11 December 2017
Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans National Institute of Statistics
and Youth Rehabilitation Ministry of Planning
Cambodia National Council Ministry of Information
Ministry of Tourism for Children
Ministry of Interior National AIDS Authority Ministry of Labour and
Vocational Training
Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health Ministry of Justice
Youth and Sport
Ministry of Cult and
Religion
Design and Layout: © UNICEF Cambodia/2017/Youra Soeum and Graphic Roots Phnom Penh, November 2017
FOREWORD Violence against children happens in almost every place in countries all over the world, whether rich or poor. However, childhood violence is often invisible, because it is hidden behind closed doors or because the lack of information and evidence on the affect and consequences of its economic impact and country development. Under the wise leadership of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minster of the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Kingdom of Cambodia has been progressing and has made significant achievements in all sectors. The Royal Government of Cambodia launched and disseminated the findings of Cambodia Violence Against Children Study on 22 October 2014 and has started to develop the Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children from July 2015 to July 2017. Cambodia has joined the global movement asserting that violence against children is never justifiable, nor is it inevitable, if its underlying causes are identified and addressed, violence against children is entirely preventable. In 2013, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) undertook the Cambodia Violence Against Children Survey (CVACS), the first countrywide study and in the East Asia and Pacific region to provide evidence on the magnitude and nature of sexual, physical and emotional violence experienced by girls and young women and boys and young men in Cambodia. The CVACS found that many Cambodian children experienced multiple incidents of physical, emotional and sexual violence while they grew up; violence is often perpetrated by the people children love and in places children ought to feel safe. The report highlights that most children never talk to anyone about their experiences nor do they reach out for help. When they do, they encounter many obstacles to receiving support. The findings from the CVACS are the driving force behind the Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021. The Action Plan was made possible due to the coordination and leadership of the high level co-chairpersons from MoWA and MoSVY with strong cooperation, partnership and commitment from government ministries and agencies represented in the multi-sectoral Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children and its four Technical Working Groups. The activities outlined in the Action Plan are designed to help support efforts in Cambodia to develop and implement effective child-friendly prevention strategies, as well as to improve service provision for all Cambodians, especially for children, both boys and girls, who experience violence. Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) and Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) together with other key line ministries, government institutions and national and international partners are committed to implement its commitment for the best interests of children and their families. On behalf of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children, represented by focal points from the MoWA, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, the Cambodian National Council for Children, the Ministry of Cult and Religion, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Information, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the Ministry of Tourism, the National AIDS Authority and the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning for their valuable inputs, time and efforts contributed. ii Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021
On behalf of the Steering Committee, MoWA and MoSVY are honored and very proud to have coordinated this
Action Plan and continue to cooperate together to effectively implement the Action Plan. To achieve our goal to end
violence against children, support from the Royal Government of Cambodia with participation from national and
international partners as well as children themselves and their families is crucial. Together we can stand up for zero
tolerance on child abuse and violence.
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children, chaired by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation and the General Secretariat of the Cambodian National Council for Children as vice-chairs extend our gratitude to all those who have participated and contributed to the development of this Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 (Action Plan). Special thanks go to the members of the Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children for their commitment and technical direction throughout the process, including the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, the General Secretariat of Cambodian National Council for Children, the Ministry of Cult and Religion, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Information, and the National AIDS Authority. We would also like to express our gratitude to UNICEF for its technical and financial support and other UN and non- governmental members of the Technical Working Group, including the Angkor Hospital for Children, First Step Cambodia, Friends International, GIZ, Global Alliance for Children, ICS-SP, International Justice Mission, M’lup Russey, NGO CRC, PLAN International, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Save the Children, Social Services of Cambodia, The Asia Foundation, UN Women, UNFPA, WHO, Winrock International, and World Vision. We truly appreciate financial support from the Government of Canada through the Global Affairs Canada and the Together for Girls for this project. Our appreciation is also extended to the team of consultants at CORAM Children’s Legal Centre who facilitated the literature reviews and research, secondary data analysis and the theory of change on Violence Against Children in Cambodia, which is the basis of the Action Plan. Finally, we recognize the powerful contribution of countless girls and boys and their families who shared with us accounts of their lives and the harrowing details of their experiences of violence, exploitation and neglect. Their stories provided instrumental information that helped us better understand the situation of violence against children in Cambodia and shaped the actions presented in this plan. We thank the Youth and Adolescent Reference Group who regularly participated in all Technical Working Group meetings and represented the voices of children throughout Cambodia. Their contributions will impact the lives of the many children and families that come after them as Cambodia moves to prevent and respond to violence against children. iv Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� iv
ABBREVIATIONS���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� viii
1.I NTRODUCTION���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1
1.1. Decision to Develop the Action Plan��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1
1.2. Methodology for Development of the Action Plan�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������1
2. GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO END Violence Against Children�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
2.1. Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Partnership������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
2.2. INSPIRE���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
2.3. ASEAN Response to Violence against Children��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2
2.4. Cambodia’s Response to Violence against Children�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3
3. Violence Against Children IN CAMBODIA����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
3.1. Key Concepts and Definitions�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
3.2. Situation of Violence against Children in Cambodia��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
3.2.1. Physical Violence����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4
3.2.2. Sexual Violence������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
3.2.3. Emotional Violence�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
3.2.4. Child Neglect����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
3.2.5. Child Marriage��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
3.2.6. Child Labour�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
3.2.7. Child Trafficking������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
3.2.8. Online Child Sexual Exploitation������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
3.2.9. Children at Increased Risk of Violence��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6
4. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN�����������������������������������������������������������������7
4.1. Theory of Change (ToC) on Violence Against Children����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7
4.2. General Principles and Approach������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������7
4.3. Scope of the Plan������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8
4.4. Key Strategies������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 v
4.4.1. Strategic Area I: Coordination and Cooperation������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8
4.4.2. Strategic Area II: Primary Prevention�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8
4.4.3. Strategic Area III: Multi-Sectoral Child Protection Response������������������������������������������������������������������������������9
4.4.4. Strategic Area IV: Law and Policy Formulation��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9
4.4.5. Strategic Area V: Monitoring and Evaluation������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9
5. ACTION PLAN KEY RESULTS FRAMEWORK��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10
6. MONITORING, REPORTING and EVALUATION�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������30
7. COSTING THE ACTION PLAN���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������30
8. CONCLUSIONS ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������30
9. GLOSSARY����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������31
10. REFERENCES���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������34
ANNEXES����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������37
ANNEX I: S
ustainable Development Goals and Targets Relevant to Child Protection���������������������������������������������������37
ANNEX II: International and Cambodian National Legal and Policy Framework on Children’s Rights in Cambodia�����38
ANNEX III: Theory of Change on Violence Against Children in Cambodia���������������������������������������������������������������������40
vi Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021
ABBREVIATIONS
ACWC ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children
CCWC Commune Committee for Women and Children
CDC US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDHS Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey
CFS Child-Friendly Schools
CNCC Cambodian National Council for Children
CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child
CSO Civil Society Organization
CVACS Cambodia Violence Against Children Survey
GSHS Global School-based Student Health Survey
ICT Information and Communications Technology
ILO International Labour Organization
Implementation and enforce of laws
Norms and value
Safe environments
INSPIRE Parent and caretaker support
Income and economic strengthening
Response and support Services
Education and life skills
LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
MIS Management Information System
MoCR Ministry of Cult and Religion
MoEYS Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
MoH Ministry of Health
MoI Ministry of Interior
MoInf Ministry of Information
MoJ Ministry of Justice
MoLVT Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training
MoP Ministry of Planning
MoSVY Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation
MoT Ministry of Tourism
MoWA Ministry of Women’s Affairs
NAA National AIDs Authority
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NIS National Institute of Statistics
RGC Royal Government of Cambodia
SDG Sustainable Development Goals
ToC Theory of Change
TWG Technical Working Group
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
WCCC Women and Children Consultative Committee
WHO World Health Organization
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has set a strong resolve in this Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence
Against Children 2017-2021 (Action Plan) to join the global movement to end violence against children, as articulated in the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the 2015 ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against
Children. Findings from the Cambodia Violence Against Children Survey in 2013 showed that many of Cambodia’s children
experience physical, emotional, and sexual violence. Multiple sources also delineate data on other forms of violence
against children in Cambodia, including neglect, child marriage, child labour, trafficking, and online child sexual exploitation.
In addition to research findings, service providers and key stakeholders have identified groups of children with particular
vulnerability to an increased risk of violence, including children living with disabilities and HIV/AIDS, children in residential
care, children who identify as LGBT, children living or working on the street, out-of-school children, child migrants and
children of migrating families, boy victims of sexual abuse, children living in rural or remote areas, children from indigenous,
ethnic or religious minority communities, children in contact with the law, and children of incarcerated women.
In response to these findings, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) was appointed to lead the development of the five-
year Action Plan. MoWA established the Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children
whose membership includes 13 key government ministries and agencies. It also established four Technical Working Groups
(TWG) with members including government, development partners, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and youth.
This inclusive and collaborative action plan development process was designed to promote commitment and collaboration
across sectors—health, social welfare, education, justice—and at all levels—national, provincial, district and lower levels.
Commitment and collaboration between all of these key stakeholders will be essential to establishing a nationwide
coordinated child protection system with a skilled and competent workforce to prevent and respond to violence against
children in Cambodia.
A Theory of Change on Violence against Children in Cambodia was developed by the TWGs as a systems-level theoretical
framework for developing the Action Plan’s approach for addressing violence against children. The Action Plan identifies
five key areas of intervention, including:
1) coordination and cooperation
2) primary prevention
3) multi-sectoral child protection response services
4) law and policy formulation and amendment
5) monitoring and evaluation.
The prevention and response activities articulated in each section of the Action Plan will be implemented at the national
and sub-national levels by responsible ministries based on their Core Commitments, as well as development partners.
To support ministries to incorporate activities to address violence against children into their annual operation plans and
budgets, the Action Plan includes cost estimations for the activities outlined in the key results framework. A monitoring and
evaluation framework will report on progress and challenges to implementing the Action Plan. It will establish a
comprehensive system for data collection on the nature and extent of violence against children and an evidence base for
best practices in prevention and response interventions.
The RGC and many multi-sectoral stakeholders all have important roles to play in implementing the Action Plan and
shaping Cambodia’s future as one in which all children are protected and can live free of violence.
viii Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-20211. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Decision to Develop the Action Plan
In recent years, Cambodia has made progress in efforts to address violence against children and important steps have
been taken to develop core laws, policies, specific strategies and regulatory frameworks for child protection. The Royal
Government of Cambodia (RGC) has taken action in many sectors to address violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect,
as well as including these issues in the National Strategic Development Plan and the National Action Plan on Violence
Against Women. Significant challenges remain for the implementation of these structures in the absence of a comprehensive
and centralized national child protection system and workforce.
In 2013, the groundbreaking Cambodia Violence Against Children Survey (CVACS) brought into clear focus the prevalence
of violence against children in Cambodia and was an important step in understanding the issue. The decision to develop
the Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 (Action Plan) came in the wake of CVACS
with the aim to move from research into action. After the launch of the findings from the CVACS, the Steering Committee
on Violence Against Children made a unanimous decision that the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) would lead the effort
to coordinate a strategy to prevent and respond to violence against children, including the development of a five-year,
costed, inter-ministerial action plan. Subsequently, MoWA issued a decision (No. 1594) to establish the Steering Committee
on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children mandated to oversee and facilitate the development of this
action plan to prevent and respond to violence against children over the period 2017-2021.
1.2. Methodology for Development of the Action Plan
The Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children invited 13 ministries to participate. It
is chaired by the MoWA and co-chaired by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) and
the Cambodian National Council for Children (CNCC). Participating ministries include the Ministry of Cult and Religion
(MoCR), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Information
(MoInf), the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT),
the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), the National AIDS Authority (NAA), and the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) of the Ministry
of Planning (MoP).
To get a baseline of existing child protection systems and activities, each Steering Committee member institution conducted
a mapping of all current and future activities addressing violence against children as identified in their sector strategic
plans, as well as noting any important programming gaps on the issue. Based on this mapping and the CVACS findings,
the ministries developed their Core Commitments to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children in Cambodia (Core
Commitments). The Core Commitments consist of broad, overarching commitments by all 13 ministries and government
agencies to address the findings and recommendations of the CVACS. The Core Commitments were launched along with
the CVACS findings in October 2014.
In 2015, the Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence Against Children created four Technical Working
Groups (TWG) on Violence Against Children to address prevention, response, laws and policies, and monitoring and
evaluation. The TWGs included members from the 13 government ministries, NGOs and CSOs, UN agencies, adolescent
representatives, and other technical advisors. The TWGs met four times at the national level in Phnom Penh and twice at
the sub-national level in Siem Reap and Preah Sihanouk. During these meetings, the TWGs collaboratively developed the
Action Plan activities, outputs, outcomes and indicators based on the government Core Commitments and the ministries’
mapping of existing programmes and activities to address violence against children. This Action Plan is the final product
of the Steering Committee and TWGs’ joint process. It articulates strategies and activities along five strategic areas of
focus, including coordination and cooperation, prevention, response, laws and policies, and monitoring and evaluation,
with capacity building as a cross-cutting issue. It is to be accompanied by a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation
framework.
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 1 | Page2. GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN
Cambodia’s response has been a part of a global movement to end violence against children. The 2006 Report of the
Independent Expert for the Secretary General’s Study on Violence Against Children[1] (the ‘UN Study on Violence Against
Children’) provided the first global study on violence against children. The study identifies that violence against children
takes a number of forms, including physical, emotional, and sexual violence, and neglect. The study reports that violence
against children takes place in a range of settings, including: the home; the community; schools; the workplace; places of
leisure, including sports and youth clubs; in residential care and custodial settings; religious institutions; and during law
enforcement and judicial procedures[2]. The study outlines the many consequences of childhood violence, including greater
susceptibility to lifelong social, emotional, and cognitive impairments, as well as a higher correlation to medical and mental
illness, intimate partner violence, and suicide attempts[3]. The study recommended that ‘all States develop a multi-faceted
and systematic framework in response to violence against children which is integrated into national planning processes’[4].
2.1. Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Partnership
In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[5] as the new primary global
development framework and set of goals for 2016-2030. The SDG targets include a new emphasis on child protection and
addressing violence against children, including:
• SDG Target 16.2, “end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children”;
• SDG Target 5.2, “eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres,
including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation”;
• SDG Target 16.1, “significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere”[6].
Several other SDG targets related to child protection address additional risk factors for violence against children, including
poverty, health, gender equality, education, safe environments and justice. [See: ANNEX I: SustainableDevelopment
Goals and Targets Relevant to Child Protection.]
In support of the SDG for child protection, End Violence Against Children: The Global Partnership was developed to bring
together governments, foundations, UN agencies, civil society, academia, the private sector and young people to drive
action toward achieving the new global target to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and
torture of children.
2.2. INSPIRE[7]
The heart of The Global Partnership’s strategy to end violence against children is INSPIRE: Seven Strategies for Ending
Violence Against Children. INSPIRE is an evidence-based package of interventions for violence prevention developed by
the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with experts across sectors[8], which expands on UNICEF’s Six
Strategies for Action[9]. This Action Plan was strongly influenced by the INSPIRE strategies, including activities, outputs and
indicators. It focused on: implementation and enforcement of laws; norms and values; safe environments; parent and
caregiver support; income and economic strengthening; response and support services; and education and life skills.
2.3. ASEAN Response to Violence against Children
In 2011, the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) identified
Elimination of Violence Against Children (EViolence Against Children) as one of the priority areas in its 2012–2016 ACWC
Work Plan. A 2012 systematic review of research on violence in East Asia and the Pacific commissioned by UNICEF
estimated the prevalence of physical abuse among boys and girls in the region to range from 10 per cent to 30.3 per cent;
sexual abuse from 1.7 per cent to 11.6 per cent; emotional abuse from 31.3 per cent to 68.5 per cent; and child labour from
6.5 per cent to 56 per cent. Furthermore, three out of four children in the region experience violent discipline at the hands
of teachers or parents. In 2015, an ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children (RPA/
EViolence Against Children) was adopted by the ASEAN Summit of Heads of State and Government. This regional plan of
action covers a period of ten years (2016-2025).
1 UN General Assembly. A/61/299: UN Study on Violence Against Children. 2006.
2 UN General Assembly. A/61/299: UN Study on Violence Against Children, para 38-80. 2006.
3 UN General Assembly. A/61/299: UN Study on Violence Against Children, para 36. 2006.
4 UN General Assembly. A/61/299: UN Study on Violence Against Children, para 96. 2006.
5 UN General Assembly. A/70/1: Transforming Our World - The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 2015.
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7 INSPIRE - Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/inspire/en/
8 The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), End Violence Against Children: The Global Partnership, the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO), the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Together for Girls, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank.
9 UNICEF. Ending Violence Against Children: Six Strategies for Action. 2014
2 | Page Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-20212.4. Cambodia’s Response to Violence against Children
Cambodia’s legal and policy framework for prevention of violence against children began with the ratification of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1992 and continued with the ratification of other key international
children’s rights conventions, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. Additionally, Articles 31 and 48 of the Cambodian
Constitution require the State to recognize and respect human rights conventions and recognize the rights of children as
stipulated in the UNCRC, particularly the right to life, education, and freedom from economic or sexual exploitation.
To prevent violence against children, the RGC has issued legislation on many topics, including: violence, abuse, exploitation,
and neglect; education and welfare; family and alternative care; and children involved with the justice system. The RGC
has also issued national and sub-national policies such as the National Policy on Early Childhood Care and Development
and National Action Plan on Early Childhood Care and Development (2014-2018). [See: ANNEX II: International and
Cambodian National Legal and PolicyFramework on Children’s Rights in Cambodia.] The RGC has established strategies
and a variety of mechanisms at the national and sub-national levels in order to assist in development of a child protection
system in Cambodia, including the CNCC, Women and Children Consultative Committee (WCCC), and Commune
Committee for Women and Children (CCWC). However, the RGC recognizes the need to move beyond a legislative and
policy framework to have more targeted response interventions to violence against children.
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 3 | Page3. VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN CAMBODIA
3.1. Key Concepts and Definitions
A child is defined as a person below the age of 18 years, in accordance with the UNCRC. Paragraph 17 of Cambodia’s
Civil Code outlines the definition of a minor as “persons under the age of 18 years”. Other concepts, terminology, and
definitions related to Violence Against Children are defined in the GLOSSARY in Section 9.
3.2. Situation of Violence against Children in Cambodia
Every day in Cambodia girls and boys continue to experience and witness violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
Children’s experience of violence spans all social classes and levels of income, though their likelihood of being exposed to
violence is often exacerbated by gender inequity, marginalization of urban and rural poor, fragmentation of families for
purposes of economic migration, and negative attitudes and discrimination towards people with disabilities. Children
experience and witness violence in their public and private spheres at home, at school, in their communities and religious
centres, and online. This violence most frequently occurs at the hands of adults and older children in caretaking roles,
including parents, siblings and extended family members, teachers, school peers, community members, religious leaders,
and caregivers in residential institutions. Different forms of violence against children are driven by multiple factors at the
family, community, and societal level and therefore need to be addressed with a variety of interventions.
This Action Plan draws on internationally recognized definitions of violence against children from two sources:
• Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child: “all forms of physical or mental violence, injury and abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse”.
• World Health Organization (WHO) in the World Report on Violence and Health (2002): “the intentional use of physical
force or power, threatened or actual, against a child, by an individual or group, that either results in or has a high
likelihood of resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity.”
The 2013 Cambodia Violence Against Children Survey (CVACS) provides baseline data on the prevalence of violence
against children in Cambodia. The CVACS findings are the foundation for the long-term, targeted response interventions
outlined in this Action Plan. Additional data sources on violence against children include the Cambodian component of the
UN Multi-country Study on Men and Violence[10], the Global School-based Student Health Survey in Cambodia (GSHS)[11],
the National Survey on Women’s Health and Life Experiences[12], and Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS)[13].
The data shows high prevalence of multiple types of violence against children in Cambodia, which constitutes a serious
concern about the implementation of children’s rights and has also been shown to have a negative impact on Cambodia’s
economy. UNICEF’s Economic Burden of the Health Consequences of Violence Against Children in Cambodia report
indicates that the economic burden of violence against children in Cambodia caused by health consequences and health
risk behaviours, as well as loss of productivity, are substantial, at around US$168 million and US$83.3 million respectively[14].
The following is a summary of the situation of violence against children in Cambodia.
3.2.1. Physical Violence
Physical violence is the most frequent type of violence experienced by Cambodian girls and boys and takes place in the
context of their daily lives at home, at school, and in their communities. The vast majority of perpetrators of physical
violence against children are the adults taking care of them – their parents (especially mothers) or other caregivers, siblings,
close extended family, and teachers. Crucially, among those children who reported to have experienced some form of
physical violence in their childhood, more than three quarters experienced multiple incidents.
• 1 in 2 girls and boys report experiencing physical violence, according to CVACS data[15]
• 1 in 2 girls and boys aged 13 to 17 report experiencing severe physical violence[16]
• Mothers are the most common perpetrators of physical violence against children in the home; teachers are the most
common perpetrators of violence outside the home, according to CVACS data[17]
• 17 per cent of students in grades 7 to 12 reported being physically attacked once or more at school, according to
GSHS data [18]
• 43 per cent of boys reported being beaten or physically punished at school by a teacher or headmaster[19]
• 3 in 4 girls and boys reporting physical violence identified they experienced multiple incidents, according to CVACS
data[20].
10 Fulu E., Jewkes R., Roselli T., Garcia-Moreno C.,UN Multi-country Study on Men and Violence, 2013.
11 World Health Organization (WHO), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), Global School-based Student Health Survey in Cambodia, 2013.
12 Fulu E., National Survey on Women’s Health and Life Experiences, 2015.
13 National Institute of Statistics (NIS), Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey, 2014.
14 UNICEF. Economic Burden of the Health Consequences of Violence Against Children in Cambodia. 2015.
15 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
16 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
17 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
18 WHO, CDC, MoEYS, MoH, Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in Cambodia, 2013.
19 Fulu E., Jewkes R., Roselli T., Garcia-Moreno C., UN Multi-country Study on Men and Violence, 2013.
20 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
4 | Page Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-20213.2.2. Sexual Violence
Sexual violence affects around 5.5 per cent of Cambodian girls and boys aged 13 to 17, according to the CVACS data.
Prevalence statistics may underestimate the true extent of sexual violence against girls and boys in Cambodia due to
underreporting, given the strong cultural stigma associated with sexual violence and the fact that most victims have little
or no means of legal or social redress. Girls who are raped may experience significant shame and stigma and find it more
difficult to marry, as they are considered ‘damaged goods’[21]. Boys who are sexually abused may experience stigma
around male sexual victimization.
Harmful sexual behaviours of children in Cambodia and globally is a significant aspect of sexual violence against children
and is defined as: ‘Sexual behaviours expressed by children and young people under the age of 18 that are developmentally
inappropriate, may be harmful towards self or others and/or be abusive towards another child, young person or adult’[22].
• More than 1 in 20 (5.5 per cent) girls and boys aged 13 to 17 years reported at least one type of sexual abuse[23]
• Among those who had sexual intercourse as a child, 1 in 4 females (24.2 per cent) and 1 in 11 males (8.9 per cent)
aged 18 to 24 reported that the first incident of sexual intercourse was unwanted[24]
• Almost 1 in 10 females and males aged 13 to 17 years experienced non-contact sexual violence[25]
• Rape constitutes 75 per cent of the violent offences against women and children reported to the police[26].
3.2.3. Emotional Violence
One quarter of Cambodian children experience emotional violence by a parent, caregiver or other adult relative. Emotional
violence may occur at home, at school, in the community, or within the law enforcement system by a child’s peers or other
adults. This includes verbal abuse, psychological bullying and hazing, including via information and communication
technologies (ICTs) such as mobile phones and the Internet, known as ‘cyber-bullying’[27]. Despite the scale of emotional
violence experienced by Cambodian children both inside and outside their homes, the topic has received relatively little
attention and further research is needed on the extent, nature and determinants of emotional violence in Cambodia.
• 1 in 4 girls and boys report emotional violence in the home[28]
• 1 in 4 girls and boys report report being bullied at school[29].
3.2.4. Child Neglect
Cambodian children under the age of 5 years receive inadequate care, according to CDHS data. The CDHS is the sole
primary data source on child neglect in Cambodia and looks at the inadequate care and supervision of children, which is
only one of many aspects of child neglect. Thus, further research is needed on the extent, nature and determinants of child
neglect in Cambodia. Globally, child neglect is regarded as the most common type of child maltreatment with prevalence
higher than physical, sexual and other types of abuse. Child neglect is associated with a wider range of damage than active
abuse and can have devastating impacts on a child’s health and physical development, intellectual and cognitive
development, emotional and psychological development, and social and behavioral development[30].
• 1 in 10 girls and boys in Cambodia under the age 5 receive inadequate care, according to CDHS, 2014.
3.2.5. Child Marriage
Child marriage in Cambodia is an issue that impacts girls in far larger numbers than boys and with more intensity and is
considered a form of exploitation of children. Child marriage and related teenage pregnancy are a major health concern
that put both mothers and children at high risk of illness and death. Research shows that the chances of child marriage
and teenage pregnancy increase with lower education attainment among women, lower economic status, and for girls in
rural communities and ethnic minorities.
• 1 in 4 (23 per cent) of females and 1 in 15 (6.5 per cent) of males (aged 18-49) reported being married before the age
of 18[31]
• Rural and ethnic minority communities have a significantly higher prevalence of child marriage, such as ethnic
minority groups in Achum district of Ratanakiri province, with prevalence as high as 59 per cent of girls married
before age 18[32].
21 UNICEF, An Analysis of the Situation of Children & Women in Cambodia, 2009.
22 Hackett S., Holmes D., and Branigan P., Operational Framework for Children and Young People Displaying Harmful Sexual Behaviours, 2016.
23 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
24 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
25 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
26 UNICEF, An Analysis of the Situation of Children & Women in Cambodia, 2009.
27 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), The Rights of the Child to Freedom from all Forms of Violence, 2011.
28 Steering Committee on Violence Against Children, Findings from Cambodia’s Violence Against Children Survey, 2013.
29 WHO, CDC, MoEYS, MoH,Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in Cambodia, 2013.
30 Harvard University Center for the Developing Child. In Brief: The Science of Neglect, 2013.
31 NIS and MoH, Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey, 2014.
32 UNICEF, Cambodia Country Programme 2016-2018: Child Protection.
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 5 | Page3.2.6. Child Labour The National Action Plan on the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour (2016 – 2025) determines Child Labour as any forms of paid and unpaid labour that affect psychosocial, physical, social and ethical development of the child under the age of 18, particularly their education. Child Work is a form of educational activity that equip the child with life skills that are productive to child’s future and is a part of the family based skills that are not considered as child labour. Cambodia Labour Force and Child Labour Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics, the Ministry of Planning in 2013 indicated that child labour situation in Cambodia was remarkably improve that showed the developments delivered by the Government of Cambodia in the past decade. Child Labour is a complicated social phenomenon that is connected with the socio-economic and social attitude. Poverty and low education are key factors that contribute to child labour in Cambodia. Families with low income, lack of skills and low education are more likely to exploit child labour in order to sustain and support their daily living condition. Therefore, child labour are prevalence across different geographical areas, economic activities and in other forms of labour sectors. The 2013 Labour Force and Child Labour Survey indicated that children age between 15 – 17 years old worked in average 3 hours per day or 21 hours per month. Among four million children age 15-17 years, 775,245 (19%) were child labourers and among them 6% worked in hazardous forms, 4.9% engaged in other forms of child labour and 8.2% worked in a safe working condition. The distribution of child labour in various labour sectors in 2012 indicated that approximately 50.4% of children worked in agriculture, forestry and fishery, 19% worked in manufacturing sector, 14.7% worked in commerce and mechanic sectors, 3.7% in construction and 5.1% worked in accommodation and food sectors. 3.2.7. Child Trafficking The issue of child trafficking is a serious problem affecting the lives of boys and girls in Cambodia. The UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking reports that children are trafficked internationally to and from and domestically within Cambodia for begging, sexual entertainment, domestic work and other types of abuse. This issue has not been included in the Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021, as the RGC has a separate National Action Plan on the Suppression of Human Trafficking, Smuggling, Labour and Sexual Exploitation 2014-2016. 3.2.8. Online Child Sexual Exploitation There is currently no research on the prevalence of online child sexual exploitation in Cambodia, but law enforcement and service providers are reporting increased identification of production, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material online; grooming of potential child victims online with the intention of sexual exploitation; and live streaming of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Evidence suggests that online child sexual exploitation is seriously harmful to victims, creating long-lasting feelings of shame and powerlessness as they grow up[33]. Evidence to clearly assess the scale and specific nature of online child sexual exploitation against children in Cambodia needs to be collected. 3.2.9. Children at Increased Risk of Violence All children are fundamentally more vulnerable than adults due to their younger age, limited life experience, smaller physical size, maturity and means. However, some children are even more vulnerable than others and are at risk of violence due to individual characteristics or being members of vulnerable groups. Many of the risk factors are overlapping and a child could easily fall under multiple categories. The Action Plan uses the phrase “children at increased risk of violence” to indicate the following specific groups of vulnerable children in need of special consideration for prevention and response to violence against children: • Children Living with Disabilities and HIV/AIDS • Children in Residential Care • LGBT Children • Children Living or Working on the Street • Out of School Children • Child Migrants and Children of Migrating Families • Children Living in Rural or Remote Areas • Children from Indigenous or Ethnic or Religious Minority Communities • Children in Contact with the Law • Children of Incarcerated Women 33 lbid 6 | Page Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021
4. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN
The Action Plan was developed, and particular strategic areas and activities selected for the key results framework,
following: an examination of the CVACS; a review and gap analysis of the Core Commitments; an examination of existing
evidence identifying good practices and lessons learnt in responding to violence against children from Cambodia and
other countries, focusing on inter-sectoral and life-cycle approaches to violence; an analysis of the National Action Plan to
Prevent Violence Against Women 2014–2018 and other relevant sectoral strategies and action plans; and development and
review of a Theory of Change (ToC) on Violence Against Children in Cambodia.
4.1. Theory of Change (ToC) on Violence Against Children
A ToC on Violence Against Children in Cambodia was developed to support the Action Plan strategy based on a systematic
review of relevant literature and a secondary analysis of the existing primary datasets on violence against children in
Cambodia. The ToC on Violence Against Children in Cambodia operates at the ‘system level’ and lays out how changes in
Cambodia’s child protection system can bring about the desired reduction or elimination of all types of violence against
children in Cambodia. The ToC identified seven major determinants of violence against children to be addressed in the
Action Plan: poverty and socio-economic inequality, education, norms supportive of violent discipline, discriminatory
gender norms, impunity/lack of awareness about existing laws, a child’s previous experience of violence, and a lack of
child protection prevention and response services.
In developing interventions to address violence against children determinants, the ToC referenced existing best practices
in violence against children prevention and response, including the UN Study on Violence Against Children[34], UNICEF’s
Six Strategies for Action[35], and The Global Partnership’s INSPIRE: Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children.
The priorities and initiatives included in the ToC are articulated in a way that is consistent with UNICEF’s global theory of
change for its 2014-2017 strategic plan[36], the UNICEF Country Programme (2016–2018)[37], the National Action Plan to
Prevent Violence Against Women (2014-2018)[38], as well as the National Action Plan for Child Development (2016-2018).
Development of the ToC took place at two national-level workshops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, attended by
approximately 40 government and civil society members of Steering Committee on Violence Against Women and Violence
Against Children and four Technical Working Groups. These participants engaged in an in-depth participatory process
developing, reviewing and amending the ToC for Cambodia. The purpose of these workshops was to disseminate the
research findings, to develop a collaborative ToC on Violence Against Children in Cambodia, and to build capacity amongst
national stakeholders on how to use the Theory of Change approach to policy and programming.
The results from this ToC helped determine the strategy in this Action Plan. To see the full ToC on Violence Against Children
in Cambodia developed in July 2016, please refer to ANNEX III: Theory of Change on Violence Against Children in
Cambodia.
4.2. General Principles and Approach
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child explains what needs to be included in a coordinating framework for addressing
violence against children or national action plan[39][40]. It needs to include legislative, administrative, social and educational
measures and stages of intervention (from prevention through to recovery and reintegration)[41]. The Action Plan is guided
by the following principles:
• Government Ownership of the Action Plan – Recognition of the RGC’s ownership of the Action Plan based on the
RGC’s commitment to the right of the child to be free from all forms of violence. The development of the five-year
Action Plan is the result of coordinated efforts, under leadership of the RGC, with high commitment to actively
participate and cooperate from all ministries, government institutions, international and local NGOs, the private
sector and other development partners. The 13 ministries that are members in Steering Committee on Violence
Against Women and Violence Against Children are responsible for the implementation of its strategic goals,
objectives, outputs, and activities within their area of responsibility.
• Child Rights Approach – Acknowledgment of children as rights holder and not beneficiaries of benevolent activities
of adults. This Action Plan included children in the process of its design as members of the TWGs and endeavours
to incorporate their participation in its implementation, monitoring and evaluation (taking account of their age and
evolving capacities).
• Gender Dimensions of violence against children – Consideration of the different risks facing girls and boys in various
settings and in relation to different forms of violence, as well as aiming to address all forms of gender discrimination that
perpetuate violence against children.
• Primary Prevention – Understanding prevention as paramount in any response to violence against children.
34 UN General Assembly A/61/299, Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child, 2006.
35 UNICEF, Ending Violence Against Children: Six Strategies for Action, 2014.
36 UNICEF, Revised Supplementary Programme Note on the Theory of Change for the UNICEF Strategic Plan (2014-2017), 2014.
37 UNICEF, UNICEF Cambodia Country Programme 2016-2018: Child Protection.
38 MoWA. National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women, 2014-2018.
39 UNCRC, The Rights of the Child to Freedom from all Forms of Violence, 2011.
40 Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, Toward a World Free from Violence: Global Survey on Violence Against Children, 2013.
41 UNCRC, The Rights of the Child to Freedom from all Forms of Violence, 2011.
Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence Against Children 2017-2021 7 | Page• Primary Position of Families – Recognition of the primary position of families in protecting children from violence
and also that violence can take place within the family context.
• Resilience and Protective Factors – Recognition of internal and external strengths and supports which promote the
personal security of children and reduce abuse and neglect and their negative impact. For example, stable families,
nurturing adults who meet the child’s needs, positive non-violent discipline, secure attachment to an adult, supportive
relationships with peers, social cohesion and a social environment that is non-violent.
• Reduction of Risk Factors – Recognition that proactive, tailored measures need to be taken to reduce risk factors
to which individual children and groups of children may be exposed, including substance abuse, mental health
problems and social isolation, as well as family risk factors, such as poverty, unemployment and discrimination.
• Children at Increased Risk and in Potentially Vulnerable Situations – Recognition of children in potentially
vulnerable situations and at increased risk of violence. For example, children in alternative care; children living and
working on the street; children in contact with the law; children with disabilities; children from ethnic minority groups;
LGBT children; children in early marriage; children involved in hazardous child labour; and child migrants or displaced
children.
• Human, Financial and Technical Resources – Consideration that resources should be allocated, across sectors, to
the maximum extent of available resources, and robust monitoring mechanisms should be developed to ensure
accountability in allocation and utilization of budgets.
• Effective coordination – Understanding that mechanisms must be put in place to ensure effective coordination at
central, regional and local levels, between sectors and with civil society.
• Accountability mechanisms – Establishment of accountability mechanisms, along with systems and tools for
monitoring, evaluation and reporting on obligations under the action.
4.3. Scope of the Plan
The Action Plan covers:
• All relevant ministries and institutions
• National and sub-national administration
• Development partners
• Civil society
• Faith-based organizations
• Survivors
• Vulnerable peaple
• General public
4.4. Key Strategies
There are five keys strategic areas of focus:
i. Coordination and Cooperation
ii. Primary Prevention
iii. Multi-Sectoral Child Protection Response
iv. Law and Policy Formulation
v. Monitoring and Evaluation
Based on these priorities, the RGC has introduced the following key strategies and actions:
4.4.1. Strategic Area I: Coordination and Cooperation
Objective:
To reduce violence against children through a multi-sectoral institutional framework for child protection,
coordinating primary prevention and response strategies with ministries and institutions targeting key actors
and settings for positive change.
Outcomes:
• Increased coordination and cooperation on efforts to reduce violence against children at all levels, including
government ministries, institutions, development partners, service providers, communities and civil society
• Establish key bodies at the national and sub-national levels to coordinate, monitor, and report on the implementation
of the Action Plan
• Strengthening of existing child protection systems and coordination of a comprehensive inter-ministerial child
protection system
• Strengthening of existing reporting systems and establishment of a national centralized child protection information
management system (CPIMS) with indicators on violence against children.
4.4.2. Strategic Area II: Primary Prevention
Objective: To reduce violence against children in the home, schools, communities and in the media through a multi-
sectoral coordinated primary prevention strategy with ministries and institutions targeting key actors and
sectors for positive change.
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